Self-feeding mop



Mam}! 1964 R. E. s. ARNDT ETAL 3,123,851

SELF-FEEDING MOP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1960 March 1964 R. E. s. ARNDT ETAL 3,123,851

SELF-FEEDING MOP Filed Feb. 24. 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIJ Izwenioa' s 1 5" BlIoaai.

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United States Patent 3,123,851 SELF-FEEDKNG M6? Robert E. S. Arndt, Dover, and Franklin R. Hoar, Concord, Masa, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Martin- Marietta Corporation, Chicago, Ill, a-corporation oi Maryland Filed Feb. 24, was, Ser. No. 10,652 13 Claims. (U. 15-546) This invention relates to self-feeding mops, and more particularly to mops for applying liquid floor wax, floor polish, or other cleaning or polishing materials in liquid form.

Some of the selfteeding mops which have previously been devised for applying liquid floor wax or polish, employ tanks mounted on the handle. These tanks. are usually rather bulky and must be periodically filledand cleaned. Some other devices of this type draw liquid from a separate tank to which the mop is connected by piping or tubing. Such apparatus is cumbersome and inconvenient to move. If the wax is fed under pressure, as is often desirable, especially when using viscous liquids, an external pump or compressor is ordinarily required. 1T hese devices are generally suitable only for industrial and institutional work, as they are too expensive and cumbersome for household use.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a mop which has a builtin system for supplying wax or other liquid to the mop head under pressure, and which is, nerverthele-ss, sufhciently light and compact to be handled easily, and can be constructed inexpensively enough'to sell at a price acceptable to the average housewife or home owner. Another object is to provide a device which can be refilled quickly and simply, which requires a minimum of cleaning or other maintenance, and which can be stored in condition for immediate use. Other objects, advantages and novel features will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawings illustrating the invention:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of a self-feeding mop constructed according to the invention, the handle being shown partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the pan which holds the head or pad of the mop; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

The mop has a tubular handleltl, on which are mount ed a housing 11, a sliding cover 12 for the rear end of the housing, and a rod 13 slidably mounted inside the handle and attached to an external trigger 14 near the upper end of the handle. The trigger has a lug 14a slidably received in an axial slot 15 in the handle.

Housing 11, which is preferably made of plastic or other suitable material, such as metal, has a thickened wall portion 11a with a slot '16 in which a portion of the lower end of the handle is received. The housing is secured to the handle by a pair of screws 17. :The rear wall of the cover carries a circular flange 13 defining a circular opening through which thehandle 10 extends. The cover has a lip 19 which fits inside the rear end of housing '11 when the coveris closed.

The housing has three internal ribs 20 which are designed to engage a can 21 of the aerosol type, containing liquid wax under pressure. A can is shown in place in FIG. 1. Ribs 20 have shoulders 24M, at their lower ends, which engage the top bead 21a of the can. The cover has similar ribs 22, with shoulders 22a, which 31233513 Patented Mar. 16., lgfid engage the bottom bead 21b of the can when the cover is closed. The can has a dispensing valve of the type operated by tilting the valve stem 24- sidewise in any direction.

T he housing has a forward upper wall 11b, and a genorally conical bafile 25 which together form a nozzle 26 having a dispensing opening 26a.

The housing 11 has a forward lower wall portion which runs back from the nozzleforrning batlle 25 to the main body of the housing and slopes up to join an inwardly extending wall portion 11d which forms an internal shoulder. A leaf spring 27, made of spring metal, is attached to shoulder 11a by means of bolts 28. Spring 27 has a U-shaped portion 27a and a tongue portion 27 b which is formed into a semi-circular cross-section. Side portions 270, which connect the tongue and U-shaped portions, are bent so that portions 27a and 2.71) are disposed at an oblique angle with respect to one another. The tongue portion has an opening 27d in which valve stem 24 is received.

Rod 13 has a hooked end 13a which passes through a hole 29 in the upper part of tongue portion 27b. As previously stated, rod 13 is also connected to trigger 14. By moving the trigger in the direction of the arrow 39, axially along the handle, the portion 27a is bent toward the aerosol can. This movement produces a component of movement sidewise with respect to the can in tongue portion 27b. This movement tilts stem 24 and opens the valve of the can to discharge the contents.

A pan, generally indicated by the numeral 31, preferably made of plastic or metal, is mounted on the lower end of housing 11. The pan is generally rectangular and has a depressed central portion 31a in which the forward end of housing 11 is received. Nozzle 25 which projects downward slightly further than the forward end of the housing enters an opening 32 in the pan. The pan has upright wall portions 315 on either side of portion 31a which he immediately outside of upright side wallportions lie on the forward part of the housing. A wire bail 33 underlies portion 31a and has ends 336: which pass through aligned holes in wall portions 31:; and 11a, forming a hinge connection between the housing and the pan. The central part of the bail is secured to the pan by a tab 34- struck out of the pan. The pan is free to pivot with respect to the housing around the .ends. of :the bail.

Another bail 35, made of spring wire, has bent up feet which are secured to the outside wall portion did by the bolts 23 which secure spring 27. Bail 35 beats on the upper side of the rear part of pan 31 and is shaped so that it is bent upward when the rear of the pan engages housing '11, as shown in FIG. 1. Spring pressure is thus applied to the pan, tending to rotate it clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1. A tab 36 struck out of the pan serves as a stop to engage bail 35 and limit the pivotal move-= ment of the pan.

A metal shoe 37 is mounted on the bottom of the pan. The shoe has an tip-turned front rim 37a. with a downturned edge 3% which is crimped around the front edge 7 of a pad 38. At the rear, the shoe has an S-shaped rim 370, the lower part of which engages over the rear edge of pan 31, and the upper part of which is crimped around the rear edge of pad 38. The pad is made of suitable material for spreading liquid wax, for example a thick absorbent cloth, such as plush.

The shoe has a raised central portion 37d in its forward part with an opening 39 aligned with the end of nozzle 26. The pad '38 has an opening at which is aligned with opening 39.

To use the mop, the operator places a can of pressurized liquid wax in the housing with the valve steam engaged with tongue 27b and closes the cover. The valve may then be opened by pulling back on trigger 14 to release wax. The wax discharged from the can is guided by baflle through nozzle 26 and flows out through the openings in the pan and the pad. By running the pad over the floor the wax is spread. More wax can be fed to the pad, from time to time as needed, by pulling the trigger. The pressure of spring on the rear part of the pan tends to hold the pad flat on the floor even though the handle is tilted somewhat counterclockwise (as viewed in FIG. 1), so that the operator does not need to use particular care in maintaining the position of the handle. When the contents of the can have been used the can may be discarded and replaced by a new one.

Although the mop has been described as intended for applying liquid wax, it may be used for spreading any type of fluid packaged in a pressurized can, for example, oil polish and other types of finishing or coating materials, cleaning solutions, and disinfectants.

Many of the previous devices of this type have narrow ducts and piping systems for conducting the wax to the mop head, and must be emptied and thoroughly cleaned before they are packed away to prevent clogging by dried wax. This mop has no narrow passages or ducts in its permanent parts, and can be stored with the container in place, ready for immediate use. The mop is a self-contained unit occupying little more space than the ordinary type wax mop consisting only of a handle and head. It is not necessary to provide for large capacity because the pressurized fluid container or cartridge can be replaced in a few seconds. The mop can thus be made light enough for easy manipulation. The relatively small size of the mop not only provides convenience in storage but also makes it usable in small areas such as bathrooms and hallways of the size likely to be found in an average house.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-feeding mop, for applying fluid material to floors, comprising a handle and a head connected thereto, a housing mounted on said mop and having an opening closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, a pressurized fluid container received in fixed position in said housing and having an aerosol dispensing valve disposed toward said opening, means defining a confined channel for delivery of an aerosol spray extending between said valve and said opening, movable valve operating means in said housing releasably engaged with said valve, said valve and said container being readily disengageable as a unit from said housing and operating member and control means movably mounted on said handle and connected to said valve operating means.

2. A self-feeding mop for applying fluid material to floors, comprising, a handle, a housing mounted along the lower portion of said handle, a mop head connected to said housing adjacent its lower end, said housing having an opening closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, means within said housing defining a short, confined feed channel for aerosol spray extending upwards from said opening and terminating within said housing a short distance above said opening, a pressurized fluid container equipped with an aerosol dispensing valve received within said housing in such a manner that said dispensing valve delivers directly into the upper end of said channel, valve operating means in said housing releasably engaged with said valve, control means connected to one of said container and said valve operating means and movably mounted on said mop so as to be accessible for hand control at a location near the upper end of said handle, said container and valve being readily disengageable as a unit from said housing and valve operating means.

3. A mop as described in claim 2 characterized in that said feed channel and said opening in said housing each have a substantially greater cross-sectional area for fluid fiow than said dispensing valve.

4. A self-feeding mop, for applying fluid material to floors, comprising a handle and a mop head connected thereto, a housing mounted on said mop and having a discharge opening disposed closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, a pressurized fluid container received in fixed position in said housing and having an aerosol dispensing valve with a movable stem disposed toward said opening and within close proximity of said opening, members defining a confined passage for delivery of an aerosol spray extending between said valve and said opening, a valve operating member mounted in said housing and having a portion ongaged with said stern, said portion being movable to move said stem and operate said valve, and a control member movably mounted on said handle and connected to said valve operating member so as to move said portion when said control member is moved, said container with its valve and stem being readily disengageable as a unit from said housing and operating member.

5. A mop as described in claim 4, said valve operating member comprising a leg portion attached to said housing and a tongue portion constituting said movable portion, and said control member comprising an elongated member slidably mounted on said handle and connected to said tongue portion and a hand grip attached to said elongated member at a position remote from said tongue member.

6. A self-feeding mop, for applying fluid material to floors, comprising a handle, a rod slidably mounted in said handle, a housing mounted on said handle, a mop head having a hinge connection to said housing, said housing having an opening closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, a pressurized fluid container equipped with an aerosol dispensing valve mounted in fixed position in said housing, valve operating means engaged with said valve, said container and valve being readily disengageable as a unit from said housing and operating means, and a spring member engaging said housing and said head and causing said head to tend to rotate about its hinge connection, one end of said rod engaging said valve operating means, whereby movement of said rod in one direction actuates said valve operating means to open said valve to discharge the fluid contents of said pressured container.

7. A mop as described in claim 6, said head having a forward portion on which said hinge connection is located and a rear portion, said spring member being disposed to urge said rear portion away from said housing, the closely adjacent, overlying and directly communicating relationship between said opening in the housing and said mop head continuing while said rear portion of the head is urged away from the housing by said spring member.

8. A mop as described in claim 6, said head having a forward portion on which said hinge connection is located and a rear portion, said spring member being disposed to urge said rear portion away from said housing, and said mop having a stop limiting travel of said rear portion away from said housing.

9. A self-feeding mop, for applying fluid material to floors, comprising a handle and a head connected thereto, a housing mounted on said handle and having a discharge opening closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, said housing also having an entrance opening, a pressurized fluid container equipped with an aerosol dispensing valve disposed in said housing, members defining a confined passage for delivery of aerosol spray extending between said dispensing valve and said discharge opening, said container being removable through said entrance opening, a cover removably engaged with said housing and covering said entrance opening, said cover and housing engaging said container and holding it in fixed position, and a valve operating member in said housing releasably engaging said valve and movable to operate said valve, said valve eing disengageable from said operating member by removing said container through said opening.

10. A self-feeding mop for applying fluid material to floors, comprising, a handle, a housing mounted along the lower portion of said handle, a mop head associated with the lower end of said housing and having a hinge connection to said housing, said housing having an opening closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, means within the lower portion of said housing defining a short, confined feed channel for aerosol spray extending upwards from said opening and terminating within the housing a short distance above said opening, a pressurized fluid container equipped with an aerosol dispensing valve mounted within an upper portion of said housing in such a manner that said dispensing valve delivers directly into the upper end of said feed channel, valve operating means in said housing releasably engaged with said valve, control means movably mounted on said handle and connected to one of said container and said valve operating means, said container and valve being readily disengageable as a unit from said housing and operating means, and a spring member engaging said housing and said head and causing said head to tend to rotate about its hinge connection, the closely adjacent, overlying and directly communicating relationship between said housing opening and said head continuing while said spring member causes said head to rotate about its hinge connection.

11. A mop as described in claim 10, with said opening in the housing being located in the forward portion thereof, and said hinge connection between the mop head and housing being located in the forward portion of said mop head.

12. A self-feeding mop for applying fluid material to floors, comprising, a handle, a housing mounted along the lower portion of said handle, said housing having at its front end a downwardly and forwardly sloping upper wall, a mop head connected to said housing on the underside of the front end thereof, said housing having an opening closely adjacent and overlying said head and communicating directly with said head, bafiie means within said housing defining with said upper wall of the housing a short, confined feed channel for aerosol spray extending upwards from said opening and terminating within said housing a short distance above said opening, a pressurized fluid container equipped with an aerosol dispensing valve received in fixed position within said housing in such a manner that said dispensing valve delivers directly into the upper end of said channel, movable valve operating means in said housing releaseably engaged with said valve, control means connected to said valve operating means and movably mounted on said mop so as to be accessible for hand control at a location near the upper end of said handle, said container and valve being readily disengageable as a unit from said housing and valve operating means.

13. A mop as described in claim 2, said head having an opening disposed closely adjacent and overlying the opening in said housing and communicating directly with said latter opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,918 Snyder July 20, 1920 1,687,831 Cohen Oct. 16, 1928 2,137,944 MacLeod Nov. 22, 1938 2,228,573 Lowe Jan. 14, 1941 2,470,837 Poison May 24, 1949 2,575,124 Pollitt Nov. 13, 1951 2,764,772 Staskowski et al Oct. 2, 1956 2,847,689 Miller Aug. 19, 1958 2,893,606 Hawkins July 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 291,728 Italy Dec. 24, 1931 311,873 Italy Oct. 13, 1933 334,338 Switzerland Jan. 15, 1959 575,291 Canada May 5, 1959 744,064 France Jan. 21, 1933 

1. A SELF-FEEDING MOP, FOR APPLYING FLUID MATERIAL TO FLOORS, COMPRISING A HANDLE AND A HEAD CONNECTED THERETO, A HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID MOP AND HAVING AN OPENING CLOSELY ADJACENT AND OVERLYING SAID HEAD AND COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH SAID HEAD, A PRESSURIZED FLUID CONTAINER RECEIVED IN FIXED POSITION IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN AEROSOL DISPENSING VALVE DISPOSED TOWARD SAID OPENING, MEANS DEFINING A CONFINED CHANNEL FOR DELIVERY OF AN AEROSOL SPRAY EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID VALVE AND SAID OPENING, MEANS DEFINING A CONFINED CHANNEL FOR DELIVERY OF AN AEROSOL SPRAY EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID VALVE AND SAID OPENING, MOVABLE VALVE OPERATING MEANS IN SAID HOUSING RELEASABLY ENGAGED WITH SAID VALVE, SAID VALVE AND SAID CONTAINER BEING READILY DISENGAGEABLE AS A UNIT FROM SAID HOUSING AND OPERATING MEMBER AND CONTROL MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE AND CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE OPERATING MEANS. 